Ancient maya economics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ancient maya economics - Assignment Example The subsistence economy means the goods used for daily use by all the other classes of the society. Although two systems of economy existed, the economy was based on trade and agriculture. The trade system was extensive with the Mesoamerica that included trading of obsidian, jade, serpentine, ceramic vases, and feathers of Quetzalcoatl birds (Hirst, n.d). The trade network was expanded with the cities of Olmec, Zapotec, and Teotihuacan as well as other Caribbean islands and different groups in gulf coast of Mexico (Demarest, 2004). The trade relations were facilitated with efficient allocation of resources and specialization in different areas of crafts and skills (Demarest, 2004). Scholars have often used the economic laws of demand and supply to assess the ancient Mayan trade because of the vast availability of resources used by the Maya (Hirst, n.d). Given the growing population of the Maya, specialized exploitation of resources began giving the Maya specialization in trade (Hirst, n.d). This specialization combined with the availability of resources that each trade party had to offer was the key in the Maya commerce (Demarest, 2004). Many scholars believe that the long distance trade of the ancient Maya was accompanied by exchange of mathematical and writing knowledge along with other cultural manifestations (Demarest, 2004). This extensive trade network is the prime mechanism for the ancient Maya’s economic growth. The agriculture of Maya consisted of maize, beans, cucurbits, chili peppers, amaranth, palms, cocoa, vanilla, avocado, agave, ramon, and manioc (Hirst, n.d). Irrigation canals and terraces were constructed in the Maya highlands in order to take advantage of the environment there while crops were grown on raised platforms in the Maya lowlands. The household economy of the ancient Maya was related to the subsistence economy. Each household had their farmland where they planted corns, squash, beans and other

Argument Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argument - Research Paper Example Camera phone is a type of cell phone which has the option of taking pictures (Goggin, 2012). Due to this initially it was considered a tool of intervening in to the privacy of others and therefore many countries banned its use especially in the public places. Later on due to the extensive useful effects of camera phone it was allowed. However, with the passage of time inventors developed such sophisticated built-in cameras that now people don’t know even that they have been photographed. Despite of the fact that majority of the people consider camera phone as a blessing, it has given rise to many problems that were previously not present and therefore today people believe that the use of camera phones should be constrained especially in gymnasiums and other similar places in order to ensure privacy and security of the public while on the other side there are individuals who believe that the camera phones should not be restricted at public places. Hence it leads to an argument which is not yet resolved. People who believe that camera phones does not create disturbance or infuriation in their private lives does not supports the idea of banning camera phone at public places rather they support the idea of using it at places such as gymnasiums. This is primarily due to the fact that camera phones provides an opportunity to capture the most lovable moments of one’s lives and also to share them with others via social networking websites (Goggin, 2012). The mischievous intentions of people can be controlled by the implementation of strict rules and regulations which aims to provide protection to general public. Banning camera phones would be a significant step in this regard. However, if the use of camera phones is not protected by the law then there are substantial chances that people who do not have mischievous intentions will also indulge into harming activities for the sake of fun only. It is the basic

Impact of Sex Tourism on Thailand

Impact of Sex Tourism on Thailand The purpose of this project is to provide an overview of the sex tourism industry in Thailand. Moreover, discuss what it is as well as consider the motivations behind it. This paper will also focus on the benefits and disadvantages, particularly the domestic social consequences of sex tourism within Thailand. The accessibility problem of the tourism industry has caused prostitution to grow steadily throughout many parts of the world and includes men (Garrick, 2005), women and children. Furthermore, the sex tourism is a major source of abuse that goes beyond professional ethics and legality. Although prostitution is legal in some countries, it thrives regardless with children, women and men involved in this ubiquitous profession legally or illegally. Nowadays, sex tourism is one of leading commercial industries that lurk in almost every business. Good or Bad? This research will show how the negative effects of sex tourism far outweigh the benefits. Many organizations, both public and private collaborations, are against sex tourism, even though Thailands revenue comes from sex tourism more than other business (Rao, 1999; Sharpley Stone, 2009). However, there are many supporters such as restaurants, hotels, resorts and tour agencies that could lose a lot of money from this veiled industry if the resisters decide to eliminate prostitution, but such actions can possibly decrease the rate of abuse and diseases, especially AIDS(Prideaux, et al., 2004). Keywords: tourism, sex tourism, child sex tourism, sex tourist, push and pull factor, Thailand, prostitution, AIDS INTRODUCTION The international tourism industry is blooming. Tourism is the worlds most important industry which is growing rapidly and increasing every year. In the year 1972 to 1976, Thailand is one of the countries that have experienced tourism growth since the first Thai tourism plan was set up in 1976 at the end of third National Economic and Social Development Plan (NESDP) (Chaisawat, 2005). Thailand has become one of the best known, and most sought after, international tourist destinations. Thailand is a country with long history and it is also a beautiful city, the attraction of the scenery in Thailand where not less than the other country (Nations Online, 2010).ÂÂ  Moreover, Thailand is probably one of the most well-known spots for the perfect beach paradise. Its natural beauty makes it perfect for people seeking a little hideaway (Beachden, 2010). Thailand has become the most popular tourist destination in South East Asia. Tourism has become Thailands leading source of foreign exchange, and thus plays an unquestionably important role in the Thai economy. At the same time, Th ailand is suffering from many of the negative aspects of tourism, including prostitution, drug addiction, AIDS, erosion of traditional values, increases in the cost of living, unequal income distribution, rapid increases in land prices in some locations, pollution, and environmental degradation (Prideaux, et al., 2004). According to Crompton (1979, pp.408-424) states that the push factors for a vacation are socio-psychological motives, for instant people go to aboard that because political crisis in Thailand, it also include terrorism in three province of Sotherns border. The pull factors are motives aroused by the destination rather than emerging exclusively from within the traveller himself, such as visitor come to Thailand for sex trade . People travel for many reasons. In addition, sex is not the main reason, but it is a relative factor for motivating people of all ages and nationalities to turn more towards traveling (Sangpikul, 2008). Anyway, no one can deny that sex is not a motivating factor (Hall, 1996).The number of international tourist arrivals to Thailand are more male than female tourist. According to UNWTO reported that in the year 2008, the number of international tourist arrivals in the year 2006 to 2008 was increased (UNWTO, 2009). Several tourists have the same objectives that are encouraged for have a sexual intercourse. However, Thailand has been involved with a kind of tourism called the international sex tourism (Pettman, 1997).The relationship between tourism and sex can be described as the seeking of romance as perhaps a precursor to sexual activities play as motivators for travel; the nature of the encounter and the role played by tourism as facilitators of romantic and sexual encounter. The purpose of this report is concern of the sex tourism in Thailand. Beside, this essay would like to describe and to discuss in the advantages and disadvantages of sex tourism to tourism industry in Thailand. WHAT IS SEX TOURISM? Sex tourism is a very lucrative industry that spans the globe. Of course, the burgeoning sex industry has its dark sides (Rao, 1999). But as sex is a human need and prostitution is here to stay, we should think about a pro-active and realistic approach to deal with the situation. Although, sex tourism is the part of dark side but the earning is come from sex tourism more than other tourism (Sharpley Stone, 2009). The statistics cannot be shown how much of the percentage constitutes tourists who come for sexual services. Nevertheless, it the high male sex ratio is associated with sex tourism, and then the trend is increasing rather than decreasing. Sex tourism, present throughout the world, is particular prevalent in Southeast Asia, where the connected problems of human trafficking, AIDS, and poverty, continue to flourish and claim lives at unprecedented rates( Croughs et al, 2005). According to Jeffrey (2003, pp.224) is defined sex tourism has generally been applied to behavior of tourists whose purpose is to engage in commercial sex with local women in tourist destinations, it can have a wider application. Moreover, sex tourism asÂÂ  travel undertaken primarily or exclusively by men from developed countries, usually to third world countries, for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity, often of an extreme, forbidden, or illegal nature (Travel Industry Dictionary, 2010).In other word, sex tourism as consisting of people from economically developed nations travelling to underdeveloped countries specifically to purchase the sexual services of local women [and men], it embraces a far broader range of people, activities and location (Enloe,1990). For others, however, it means purchasing sexual services from a woman, man, or even a child, and imagining themselves as Love Gods. It cannot be denied that the sex tourism industry has diversified beyond the tradi tional conceptualizations that label it as a predominantly patriarchal form of exploitation and leisure (Garrick, 2005). Sex tourism includes domestic sex tourism, which is travel within the same country, or international sex tourism which involves travel across national borders. It is a multibillion dollar industry that supports an international workforce estimated to number in the millions (Revista, 2002). It has been argued by some people that sex tourism benefits not only the sex industry but also the airline, taxi, restaurant and hotel industries (Jones, 1946-2006). Human Rights organizations warn that sex tourism contributes to human trafficking and child prostitution (Guzder, 2009). Seriously, child sex tourism is involved to the sex tourism. Even though,ÂÂ  ECPAT (End Child Prostitution and Trafficking) as the international organizations that care about child prostitution.ÂÂ  And children illegally brought into the profession to see that, in third world countries are tourism promotion mainly to do with the sun, sea and sex that intended for tourists to have sex (ECPAT International, 2010). Mostly from developed countries such as Australia, New Zealand, English, French.ÂÂ  As well as some of the developing countries like China, Malaysia, Singapore, tourists are concentrated in large areas such as Pattaya, Manila, Phnom Penh as a tourist destination with heavy clubs and bars, as well as other entertainment venues. Who is a sex tourist? According to Rao (1999, pp.96) it is a man who is going through a mid-life crisis, who has been disenchanted with his enjoyment of life due to feminism and womans liberation rhetoric; a man who is tired of taking a politically correct position on his sexual preferences because of social pressure sex tourist can be a worker, professional, or manager, but all of them want to feel like real men. Moreover, a good definition, those who travel to a country for the sole purpose of having sex, see it as an opportunity, or even an entitlement, to have sex available for less money than they would pay at home. Sex tourists trend not to differentiate between buying groceries, and going to the brothel to buy sex-both provide someone with economic sustenance. They perceive that those involved in the industry are making a choice to sell their service. Sex tourism in Thailand in the past found thatÂÂ  tourism is related to the sex, activities or services by prostitutes. In the past, sex tourism in Thailand that often seen in cities or large cities such as Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Chiang Mai. Presently, the sex tour was hidden to the general tourism such as festival; Full Moon party at Kho Phangan is located on southern of Thailand. Thailand and the Philippines, sex shows are presented with the primary purpose of gaining pleasure simply from watching (Latza quoted in Opperman, 1999). From this Opperman subvert the original definition by asking what the criteria are for definition sex tourism. Would oral sex, hand jobs, or watching a sex show be enough to qualify a tourist as a sex tourist? BENEFITS ARISING FROM SEX TOURISM Ryan and Kinder (1996, pp.516) argued that to regards sex tourism as some form of deviance, as something that foreign to the intrinsic nature of tourism, is mistake. However, it is important to note that prostitutes are the key ingredient in the sex tourism industry (BirdDonaldson, 2009). The prostitution is one occupation that has the longest and ancient history in the world. It was recovered that after shuffle goods system or origins money goes up by give a woman engages in sexual intercourse with the other(except her spouse) for religion reason, for show arrive at having mind generousness to welcome visitor, show arrive at the worth of bring governor of a province (Taylor, 2006). Prostitution in Third World and emerging Nations, disregarding the subsistence economy (economical method which except for exchange of goods embarks the purpose to cover the personal requirements) and the development of the rural areas by falling row material prices on the world market and the subsidization individual exporting business sectors leads to a growing depletion of the rural population. As in many of these countries tourism makes big part of the cross national product more importance is attached to the development of mass tourism rather than on other essential measures to counteract the depletion of big parts of the population (Taylor, 2006). Thus the number of women and men prostituting themselves in emerging countries grows in parallel in the same measure as tourism increases. In most of these countries, same as in Thailand, prostitution is forbidden. However the service providing women and men are the ones suffering from these restrictions (Taylor, 2006). As the device bringing foreigners must not be scared off long term suitors only have to reckon with penalties rarely. Due to this poorness in these countries a growing migration into cities can be observed. Many countrymen flee into the cities as there the chances for economical success and covering the family is bigger than in the infrastructural neglected rural areas where they derive from. Poorness, missing education, lack of jobs, no alternatives in career, low wages and missing social coverage are the main reasons for the growing number of prostitutes. Prostitution for foreign visitors developed into a major industry, although official Thailand shrouds its economic and social significance in misinformation and variety of interesting hypocrisies. Prostitutes come mainly from poor northern Thailand; however, there are now some educated prostitutes coming from the cities, as well as prostitutes from all neighboring countries and even Eastern Europe. No one can deny a lot of earning is come from sex tourism more than other industry. Although, the prostitute is rapid growth same as sex tourism but it a quite good signal that it also mean many tourist come to Thailand and high exchange rate within Thailand. Concisely, Sex tourism has become a major source of income in some countries, particularly those with poor and underprivileged sectors, to the point that some countries have even tried to promote the business (Nuttavuthisit, 2007). In addition to the sex tourism related with hospitality industry, they are get the revenue and more people are employed from sex tourism, such as restaurant, bar, hotel, massage etc.ÂÂ   The one reason is sex worker and sex tourist will negotiation in those place then they can get money from all service which they sold their product. For instant, the prostitute and sex tourist are communicate by website or web board on internet, after that they have appointment in some restaurant. While they made negotiation in their business that they have to order something to eat or drink. That is why everybody can get income when the sex tourists come to Thailand for sex trade. DISADVANTAGE OF SEX TOURISM IN THAILAND Internet has provided a convenient marketing way that is accounting for the recent rise in sex tourism. Websites provide potential sex seekers with pornographic accounts written by other sex tourists. Here can be found details of sexual exploits with information on sex establishments and prices in various destinations and how to specifically procure prostitutes. Sex tour travel agents even publish brochures and guides on the Internet (Chow-White, 2006). Governments in need of income from the sex tourism turn a blind eye to the sexual exploitation. Moreover, sex tourism on the internet is at the confluence of issues of race, gender, sexuality, technology and globalization (Chow-White, 2006). Increasingly, information and communication technologies(ICTs), such as the internet, are playing a particularly significant role not only in the promotion and packaging of sex tourism but a new type of global surveillance of bodies, race and desire(Gabriel,1998;Ware Back, 2002). In contrast, prostitution tourism has been promoted by the Government in the Philippines because of its profitability. Income generated from visitor arrivals in 1992 was US$1.67 billion and in 1993 was US$2.12 billion (Jeffreys, 1999), but sex tourism in Thailand is illegal in some business so the Thailand tourism authority (TAT) cannot promote same as Philippines. Moreover, Thailand is the root of Buddhism. The sex trade is wrong ethic. In other word, to the common opinion prostitution in Thailand is due to the informal handling of sexuality or has its roots in Buddhism, prostitution was imported by Chinese guest-workers. At the beginning with Chinese women which were in the course of time more and more replaced by locals. The degree of prostitution as it can be observed in Thailand today is a direct consequence of the Vietnam War. Many of them are forced to become what is known as, ÂÂ  Bangkok Tour GirlsÂÂ  .This form of exploitation is not only limited to local prostitution but has paved way for sex tourism, earning Thailand the notorious distinction of Brothel of the World. The sex tourism statistics of Thailand invite worldwide criticisms. Among these, one third fraction is minors. There are absolutely no records indicating the number of Thai women and children being trafficked to various other countries in Asia, US, Australia and Europe. The sex industry in Thailand generates fantasies. There are the fantasies of pliant girls which draw the western sex tourists, and then there are the fantasies of lurid exploitation which draw the western sex tourists, and then there are the fantasies of lurid exploitation which draw the western moralizers and NGOs. But what is the actual scale of prostitution in Thailand? And how serious is the trafficking problem? Many organizations, both public and private collaborations, are against sex tourism, even though the revenue comes from sex tourism ore than other tourism. However, there are many supporters such as restaurants, hotels, resorts and tour agencies that could lose a lot of money from this veiled industry if the resisters decide to eliminate prostitution, but such actions can possibly decrease the rate of abuse and diseases, especially AIDS. Thailand undeniably has serious problems regarding the sex trade, as do many other countries. There is, however, a perception that the problem is much worse in Thailand because many people think that the country provides easy access to these types of services. Thailands sex industry has become a tourist attraction in itself, with red light districts being recommended in several reputable guidebooks (Kusy, 1991). Estimates of the number of prostitutes in Thailand vary widely and are subject to controversial debate. Although, sex tourism in Thailand is make the money more that other business but TAT still against this business that because a lot of victim of trafficking from child (TATnews, 2010). The rapid spread of AIDS in Thailand has had a decided impact on the tourism industry in that the countrys reputation for having a high incidence of AIDs discourages desirable tourists from visiting it. Likewise the tourism industry has had considerable impact on the spread of AIDS in Thailand ( McCamish, et al.,2002). Thailand has long been promoted as the sex capital of the world; encouraging tourists to come to Thailand specifically for this reason obviously brings a higher transmission of the disease from sources both inside and outside the country. It should be noted that there are other important factors contributing to the high incidence of AIDS and HIV-positive cases in Thailand which have nothing to do with the tourism industry, one major one being Thai males penchant for frequenting prostitutes both before and after marriage. Initially, the Thai government did not take prompt and appropriate action to deal with the AIDS crisis. It did not try to curtail the sex industry, believing that it would naturally fade as the economy prospered and job opportunities increased. Later, as the government began to realize the severity of the situation, it tackled the problem only by promoting the use of condoms, rather than by using a multi-pronged approach, which would have included the attenuation of the sex industry. CONCLUSION Thailand is a country with long history. There are also many interesting attractions. Contrast,ÂÂ  travelers visit to Thailand for sexual intercourse. Although, quite revenues are come from sex tourism, but it also has many disadvantages thatÂÂ  because of the rapidly growing in sex tourism same as the prostitution is the one of immoral. Otherwise, Thailand is a Buddhist country, it made the prostitution is wrong ethic. On the other word, the prostitution is increasing due to revenues beautiful.ÂÂ  Moreover, It is easy to do and easy to get more money.ÂÂ  The people who play in the prostitution are alwaysÂÂ  forgotten Safety, such as forgot the condom that they can get easily AIDS and world widely expand.ÂÂ   Sex tourism is a significant part of Thailands economy. If governments and related agencies are collaborate in the development of sex tourism and prostitute to be legal, maybe the image of Thailands tourism will be change in the good way (Taylor, 2006). Moreover, people who work in sex trade does not have to go to abroad for done their job.

Seamus Heaney :: Writers Poets Poetry Essays

Seamus Heaney Seamus Heaney was born in April 1939 in Northern Ireland. His father owned and worked fifty acres of farmland in County Derry in N.I. Patrick Heaney had always been committed to cattle-dealing. Seamus’ parents died quite early in his life and so his uncle had to take care of him from then on. Heaney grew up as a country boy and attended the local primary school. When he was twelve he won a scholarship to St. Columb’s College, a catholic boarding school situated in the city of Derry. Heaney moved to Belfast later in his life where he lived for fifteen years and then moved to the republic. Since 1982 he made annual visits to America to teach and since then he started writing his poems. Heaney’s first poem was called ‘Digging’. The aims of this essay are to compare two of Seamus Heaneys’s poems which deal with the theme of childhood. The two poems are called ‘The Early Purges’ and ‘Mid-Term Break’. The relevance of the title ‘The Early Purges’ is that it informs us about what happens during the poem and it tells us what the subject of the poem is. The poem goes straight into what it is about and it is based the death of animals on a farm and is subjected to two people’s opinions over the killing of the animals. The poem is very ambiguous and ironic with a gory tone to it because of its in depth description of the death. The poem has seven three line stanzas called tercets, and each line holds five to ten words keeping the poem easy to read throughout. Heaney has chosen to use this stanza structure and line length because it builds up tension and keeps you in suspense. It is also easier to digest in small stanzas and I think he has done this for us to get the full effect of the poem. There is a rhyme scheme in the poem but is split into para-rhymes because it gives a flow to the poem and grasps the readers attention all the way through. Seamus Heaney uses lots of imagery in this poem to get the reader to really imagine how the animals were treated on the farm. Heaney mentions a line that Dan Taggart had said on the farm. â€Å"Like wet Gloves† Dan had thought they looked like wet gloves when they were being drowned. Also while Heaney had watched the kittens drown, he said that he had watched them â€Å"Turn mealy and crisp as old summer dung†. As you can see, again how Heaney exaggerates on the killing of

Input And Output Devices Of A Computer Essay

The terms â€Å"input† and â€Å"output† are used both as: verbs to describe the process of entering /displaying the data. nouns referring to the data itself entered into /displayed by the computer. Input Devices Input devices are necessary to convert information or data in to a form which can be understood by the computer. A good input device should provide timely, accurate and useful data to the main memory of the computer for processing. Keyboard Keyboard is the standard input device attached to all computers. The layout of a keyboard is just like the traditional typewriter of the type QWERTY. It also contains some extra command keys and function keys. It contains a total of 101 to 104 keys. You have to press correct combination of keys to input data. The computer can recognize the electrical signals corresponding to the correct key combination and processing is done accordingly. The computer keyboard is used to enter text information into the computer. The keyboard can also be used to type commands directing the computer to perform certain actions. Commands are typically chosen from an on-screen menu using a mouse, but there are often keyboard shortcuts for giving these same commands. keyboards usually have a numeric keypad, a bank of editing keys, and a row of function keys along the top. Laptop computers don’t have room for large keyboards. they include a â€Å"fn† key so that other keys can perform double duty. Most keyboards attach to the PC via a PS/2 connector or USB port. Pointing Devices The graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in use today requires some kind of device for positioning the on-screen cursor. Typical pointing devices are: mouse, trackball, touch pad, trackpoint, graphics tablet, joystick, touch screen. Pointing devices are connected to a PC via a serial ports (old), PS/2 mouse port (newer), or USB port (newest). Mouse A mouse is an input device that is used on personal computer. It rolls on a small ball and has two or three buttons on the top. When rolled across a flat surface the screen censors the mouse moves in the direction of mouse movement. In older mice, a ball in the bottom of the mouse rolls on the surface as it moves. internal rollers sense the ball movement and transmit the information to the computer via the cord of the mouse. The newer optical mouse uses a light and a small optical sensor to detect the motion of the mouse by tracking a tiny image of the desk surface. Optical mice avoid the problem of dirty mouse ball, which causes regular mice to roll unsmooth. A cordless or wireless mouse communicates with the computer via radio waves. such mice need internal batteries. A mouse also includes one or more buttons (and possibly a scroll wheel) to allow users to interact with the GUI. The traditional PC mouse has two buttons, while the traditional Macintosh mouse has one button. On either type of computer you can also use mice with three or more buttons and a small scroll wheel. Touch pad Most laptop computers have a touch pad pointing device.   Moving the on-screen cursor is done by sliding a finger along the surface of the touch pad. The buttons are located below the pad, but most touch pads allow you to perform â€Å"mouse clicks† by tapping on the pad itself. Touch pads have the advantage over mice that they take up much less room to use. They have the advantage over trackballs that there are no moving parts to get dirty and result in jumpy cursor control. Trackpoint Some sub-notebook computers, which lack room for even a touch pad, incorporate a trackpoint. a small rubber projection embedded between the keys of the keyboard. The trackpoint acts like a little joystick that can be used to control the position of the on-screen cursor. Trackball Trackball is sort of like an upside-down mouse, with the ball located on top. A is fingers is used to roll the trackball, and internal rollers sense the motion which is transmitted to the computer. Trackballs have the advantage over mice in that the body of the trackball remains stationary on a desk, so much room is not needed to use the trackball. Early laptop computers often used trackballs. Touch screen Some computers, especially small hand-held PDAs, have touch sensitive display screens. The user can make choices and press button images on the screen. Stylus is often used, which you hold like a pen, to â€Å"write† on the surface of a small touch screen. Graphics tablet A graphics tablet consists of an electronic writing area and a special â€Å"pen† that works with it. A graphics tablet allows artists to create graphical  images with motions and actions similar to using more traditional drawing tools. Joysticks Joysticks and other game controllers can also be connected to a computer as pointing devices. They are generally used for playing games, and not for controlling the on-screen cursor in productivity software. Scanners A scanner is a device that images a printed page or graphics by digitizing it, producing an image made of tiny pixels of different brightness and color values which are represented numerically and sent to the computer. Scanners scan graphics and pages of text which are then run through OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software that identifies the individual letter shapes and creates a text file of the page’s contents. The common optical scanner devices are: Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR), Optical Mark Reader (OMR) , Optical Character Reader (OCR). Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) This is widely used by banks to process large volumes of cheques and drafts. Cheques are put inside the MICR, as they enter the reading unit, the cheques pass through the magnetic field which causes the read head to recognize the character of the cheques. Optical Mark Reader (OMR) This technique is used when students have appeared in objective type tests and they had to mark their answer by darkening a square or circular space by pencil. These answer sheets are directly fed to a computer for grading  where OMR is used. Optical Character Recognition (OCR): This technique unites the direct reading of any printed character. Suppose you have a set of hand written characters on a piece of paper. You put it inside the scanner of the computer. This pattern is compared with a site of patterns stored inside the computer. Whichever pattern is matched is called a character read. Patterns that cannot be identified are rejected. Microphone A microphone is attached to a computer to record sound. The sound is digitized and stored in the computer to later processing and playback. MIDI Devices MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a system designed to transmit information between electronic musical instruments. A MIDI musical keyboard can be attached to a computer and allow a performer to play music that is captured by the computer system as a sequence of notes with the associated timing. Output Devices Visual Display Unit (VDU) The most popular output device is the VDU. The VDU is also called monitor. Monitor is used to display the input data and to receive messages from the computer. It has its own box which is separated from the main computer system and is connected to the computer by a cable. In some systems it is compact with the system unit. It can be color or monochrome. CRT Monitor Traditional output device of a personal computer has been the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitor. It contains a large cathode ray tube that uses an electron beam of varying strength to â€Å"paint† a picture onto the color phosphorescent dots on the inside of the screen. CRT monitors are heavy and use more electrical power than flat panel displays. CRT are preferred by some graphic artists for their accurate color rendition, and preferred by some gamers for faster response to rapidly changing graphics. Monitor screen size is measured diagonally across the screen, in inches. Not all of the screen area may be usable for image display, so the viewable area is also specified. The resolution of the monitor is the maximum number of pixels it can display horizontally and vertically (such as 800 x 600, or 1024 x 768, or 1600 x 1200). Most monitors can display several resolutions below its maximum setting. Pixels (Picture Elements) are the small dots that make the image displayed on the screen. The spacing of the screen’s tiny phosphor dots is called the dot pitch (dp), typically .28 or .26 (measured in millimeters). A screen with a smaller dot pitch produces sharper images. Computer must produce a video signal that a monitor can display. This may be handled by circuitry on the motherboard, but is usually handled by a video card in one of the computer’s expansion slots; often the slot is a special one dedicated to video use, such as an AGP slot (Accelerated Graphics Port). Video cards are also called video display adapters, and graphics cards. Many video cards contain separate processors and dedicated video memory for generating complex graphics quickly without burdening the CPU. Flat Panel Monitor A flat panel display usually uses an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen to display output from the computer. The LCD consists of several thin layers that polarize the light passing through them. The polarization of one  layer, containing long thin molecules called liquid crystals, can be controlled electronically at each pixel, blocking varying amounts of the light to make a pixel lighter or darker. Other types of flat panel technology exist (such as plasma displays) but LCDs are most commonly used in computers, especially laptops. Older LCDs had slow response times and low contrast, but active matrix LCD screens have a transparent thin film transistor (TFT) controlling each pixel, so response, contrast, and viewing angle are much improved. Flat panel displays are much lighter and less bulky than CRT monitors. They consume much less power. They are more expensive than CRTs, but the price gap is narrowing. The display size of a flat panel is expressed in inches, and the resolution is the number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the display. Terminals Terminal is a very popular interactive output unit. It is divided into two types: hard copy terminals. soft copy terminals. A hard copy terminal provides a printout on paper. A soft copy terminals provides visual copy on monitor. Printer Printer is an important output device used to get a printed copy of the processed text or result on paper. There are different types of printers that are designed for different types of applications; Depending on their speed and approach of printing. printers are classified as: impact. non-impact printers. Impact printers Impact printers use the familiar typewriter approach of hammering a typeface against the paper and inked ribbon. Dot-matrix printers are of this type.   Dot matrix printers use small electromagnetically activated pins in the print head, and an inked ribbon, to produce images by impact. These printers are slow and noisy, and are not commonly used for personal computers anymore they can print multi-layer forms, which neither ink jet nor laser printers can. Non-impact printers Non-impact printers use electro-static chemicals and ink-jet technologies. Laser printers and Ink-jet printers are of this type. This type of printers can produce color printing and elaborate graphics. Ink Jet Printer For hardcopy output, you need some kind of printer attached to the computer. The most common type of printer for home systems is the color ink jet printer. These printers form the image on the page by spraying tiny droplets of ink from the print head. The printer needs several colors of ink (cyan, yellow, magenta, and black) to make color images. Some photo-quality ink jet printers have more colors of ink. Ink jet printers are inexpensive, but the cost of consumables (ink cartridges and special paper) makes them costly to operate in the long run for many purposes. Laser Printer A laser printer produces good quality images by the same technology that photocopiers use. A drum coated with photosensitive material is charged, and then an image is written onto it by a laser (or LEDs) which makes those areas lose the charge. The drum then rolls through toner (tiny plastic particles of pigment) that is attracted to the charged areas of the drum. The toner is then deposited onto the paper, and then fused into the paper with heat. Most laser printers are monochrome, but more expensive laser printers with multiple color toner cartridges can produce color output. Laser printers are faster than ink jet printers. Their speed is rated in pages per minute (ppm). They are more expensive than ink jets, but they are cheaper to run in the long term if you just need good quality black & white pages. Other Printers Multi-function printers are available that not only operate as a computer printer, but also include the hardware needed to be a scanner, photocopier, and FAX machine as well. Sound Output Computers also produce sound output, ranging from simple beeps alerting the user, to impressive game sound effects, to concert quality music. The circuitry to produce sound may be included on the motherboard, but high quality audio output from a PC usually requires a sound card in one of the expansion slots, connected to a set of good quality external speakers or headphones. Multimedia is a term describing computer output that includes sound, text, graphics, movies, and animation. A sound card is an example of a multimedia output device .

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 41

How Is She? My birthday falls on a Friday. December 29. In the afternoon, Mom helps me tape trash bags around my cast so I can take my first shower since I broke my leg. This is sort of embarrassing to talk about, but Mom has to help me keep my cast out of the shower, so she holds the shower curtain for me, protecting the cast, as I straddle the edge of the tub, trying to keep my weight on my good leg. Mom hands me the soap when I need it and also the shampoo. She pretends not to look at my naked body, but I am sure she gets a glimpse at some point, which makes me feel strange. I haven't worked out in days, so I feel very small and weak – but Mom doesn't say anything about my diminished girth, because she is a kind woman. After my shower, Mom helps me put on a pair of sweatpants she has modified, cutting one leg off at the thigh so my cast can fit through. I also put on a button-down shirt from the Gap and my new leather jacket. I hop down the steps, crutch my way out the door and into the backseat of Mom's car, sitting sideways so my cast will fit. When we arrive at the Voorhees house, I crutch my way into Cliff's office, pick the black recliner, prop my cast up on the footrest, and tell Cliff everything. When I finish my story, Cliff says, â€Å"So you've been in bed since Christmas?† â€Å"Yeah.† â€Å"And you have no interest in reading or watching television?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"And you're not working out your upper body at all? No weights?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"What do you do all day?† â€Å"I sleep, or I think. Sometimes I write, but Danny has been coming to visit me too.† I had already told Cliff all about God reuniting Danny and me, which even Cliff had to admit was a bit of a miracle and maybe the silver lining to my awful Christmas. â€Å"What do you and Danny do when he visits?† â€Å"We play Parcheesi.† â€Å"Parcheesi?† â€Å"It's the Royal Game of India. How can you not know it?† â€Å"I know Parcheesi. I'm just surprised you and Danny play board games together.† â€Å"Why?† Cliff makes a funny face, but doesn't say anything. â€Å"Danny brings his Parcheesi game all the way from North Philly. He rides the trains.† â€Å"That's good, right? It must be nice to see your old friend.† â€Å"I was sorry to learn that he still can't rap, even after a second operation, but his aunt got him a job doing the janitorial work at her church, which is also a day-care center. He wipes down the pews with pine oil and mops the floors and empties the trash and vacuums every night – stuff like that. He smells like pine trees now too, which is sort of a nice bonus. But Danny is quieter than I remember him being in the bad place.† â€Å"Did you tell Danny about what Tiffany did to you?† Cliff asks. â€Å"Yeah, I did.† â€Å"What did he say?† â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"He didn't give you any advice?† â€Å"I didn't ask him for any advice.† â€Å"I see.† Cliff grabs his chin, which lets me know he is going to say something my mother has told him. â€Å"Pat, I know how you lost your memory. Everyone does.† He pauses here, gauging my reaction. â€Å"And I think you remember too. Do you?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Do you want me to tell you how you lost your memory?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Why?† I don't say anything. â€Å"I know Dr. Timbers used to tell you the story every day as part of your therapy. That's why I never brought it up. I thought maybe you would talk about it when you were ready, but it's been almost five months – and now you have a broken leg, and things seem to have gotten worse. I can't help feeling as though we need to start trying other tactics. What Tiffany suggested about closure is true. I'm not saying her methods were honorable, but you really do need to come to terms with what happened, Pat. You need closure.† â€Å"Maybe my movie isn't over,† I say, because sometimes moviemakers trick the audience with a false bad ending, and just when you think the movie is going to end badly, something dramatic happens, which leads to the happy ending. This seems like a good spot for something dramatic to happen, especially since it's my birthday. â€Å"Your life is not a movie, Pat. Life is not a movie. You're an Eagles fan. After watching so many NFL seasons without a Super Bowl, you should know that real life often ends poorly.† â€Å"How can you say that now, especially since the Eagles have won four straight and are headed into the play-offs – even after McNabb went down!† Cliff just looks at me, almost as if he is scared, and suddenly I realize that I was just yelling. But I can't help adding, â€Å"With a negative attitude like that, it will end poorly, Cliff! You're starting to sound like Dr. Timbers! You better watch out, or you're going to be defeated by pessimism!† There is a long silence, and Cliff looks really worried, which begins to worry me. On the drive home, Mom tells me that people are coming over for my birthday. She is making me a birthday dinner. â€Å"Is Nikki coming?† I ask. â€Å"No, Pat. Nikki is never coming,† Mom says. â€Å"Never.† When we arrive home, Mom makes me sit in the family room while she cooks meat loaf and mashed potatoes and green beans and an apple pie. She keeps trying to talk to me, but I really do not feel like talking. Jake and Caitlin arrive first, and they try to cheer me up by talking really enthusiastically about the Birds, but it doesn't work. When Ronnie and Veronica arrive, Emily climbs onto my lap, which makes me feel a little better. Caitlin asks Emily if she wants to draw a picture on my cast, and when she nods, Mom finds some markers and we all watch little Emily draw. She starts off by making a wobbly circle, which is understandable, since the cast is not perfectly flat, nor smooth. But then she just scribbles all sorts of colors everywhere, and I cannot tell what she is up to until she points to her creation and says, â€Å"Pap!† â€Å"Did you draw a picture of Uncle Pat?† Ronnie says, and when Emily nods, everyone laughs because it looks nothing like me. When we sit down at the dining-room table, my father is still not home. Even after the win over Dallas, he has been pretty distant lately, hiding in his study again. Nobody mentions my dad's absence, so I don't either. Mom's meal is delicious, and everyone says so. When it is time for pie, they sing â€Å"Happy Birthday† to me, and then little Emily helps me blow out the candles that make the shape of the number 35. I hardly believe that I can actually be thirty-five, because I still feel like I am thirty – maybe I only wish I were thirty, because then I'd have Nikki in my life. After we eat our pie, Emily helps me open my presents. I get a brand-new wooden hand-painted Parcheesi board from Mom, who says she invited Danny to my party, but he had to work. Ronnie, Emily, and Veronica give me an Eagles fleece blanket. Jake and Caitlin give me a membership to a gym in Philadelphia. The brochure in the box says the club has a pool and a steam room and basketball courts and racquetball courts and all types of weight-lifting equipment and other machines that build muscles. â€Å"It's where I work out,† my brother says. â€Å"And I was thinking we could start working out together once your leg mends.† Even though I'm not all that interested in working out so much anymore, I realize that the membership is a nice present, so I thank Jake. When we retire to the living room, I ask Veronica about Tiffany. â€Å"How's Tiffany?† I say. I'm not really sure why I ask. The words just sort of slip out of my mouth, and when they do, everyone stops talking and a silence hangs in the air. â€Å"I invited her to your party,† Mom finally offers, probably just so Veronica will not feel badly about her sister being excluded. â€Å"Why?† Jake asks. â€Å"So she can lie to Pat again? Set him back a few more years?† â€Å"She was only trying to help,† Veronica says. â€Å"Your sister has a funny way of helping.† â€Å"Stop,† Caitlin says to Jake. And then the room is silent again. â€Å"So how is she?† I ask, because I really do want to know.